Kate Middleton wears new eternity ring as she ditches iconic engagement band again

The Princess of Wales has been seen wearing an eternity-style ring on a few occasions this year - and she opted to wear it again on her surprise return to royal duties in Southport yesterday.

The Princess of Wales has once again swapped her iconic engagement ring for a new eternity-style band, as she made a surprise return to royal duties. Kate decided at the last minute to join Prince William in Southport, where she expressed her heartfelt gratitude and offered hugs to the emergency workers who responded to the fatal stabbings in the town.

The couple also met with the bereaved families. This marked her first official engagement since completing her chemotherapy treatment for cancer diagnosed earlier this year.

Prior to her treatment, Kate was often seen wearing her blue sapphire and diamond ring, which once belonged to William's late mother, Princess Diana. However, during yesterday's visit, she appeared to have replaced it with a new ring, also adorned with sapphires and diamonds, similar to her engagement ring.

This was worn alongside her gold wedding band and another eternity ring that she usually wears. This isn't the first time Kate has been seen with this new ring; it was glimpsed earlier this summer in a video shared by William and Kate to congratulate Team GB after the Paris Olympics.

She was also spotted wearing it in an emotional video where she updated on her cancer journey and announced the end of her chemotherapy treatment, reports the Mirror.

At the time, royal enthusiasts speculated that the new ring could be a gift from William and pondered if the fresh piece of jewellery might symbolise a 'fresh start' for the princess, now that she has completed her treatment and is embarking on "the next phase of her life".

During Kate's unexpected appearance yesterday, she and William privately conversed with the families of the victims – their first joint official engagement since the princess' cancer treatment concluded in the summer.

The couple met with the relatives of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – all tragically stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 in Southport, as well as the children's dance teacher, at an undisclosed location.

Following the visit, William and Kate shared on social media: "Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy."

After spending half an hour with each family, they walked to Southport Community Centre where they joined emergency responders involved in the incident to hear about their experiences, and meet health practitioners supporting the 'blue light' community in the town.

Kate and William sat side by side on a bench in the centre's gardens for a heartfelt discussion with the emergency workers.

Kate expressed her gratitude during their earlier encounter with the families, stating: "I can't underestimate how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day. On behalf of them, thank you."

William addressed the first responders, saying: "You're all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don't rush back to work."

In a moment away from the media spotlight, Kate embraced some of the invited fire, ambulance, police, and air ambulance workers who found it difficult to articulate their emotions. It's understood that the engagement was initially intended as a solo visit for William, but Kate chose to accompany her husband to demonstrate her solidarity, understanding, and care for the community.

The princess has been gradually resuming public engagements following her video announcement four weeks prior, revealing the end of her chemotherapy treatment and her intention to focus on remaining cancer-free. Last week, Kate was seen embracing Liz Hatton, a 16 year old aspiring photographer battling a rare cancer, whom William had invited to Windsor Castle to photograph an investiture ceremony he was hosting.

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Additionally, Kate made a discreet visit to watch the English National Ballet's afternoon performance of Giselle at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London a few weeks ago, later sharing her thoughts on the "moving and inspiring" show via social media.

The visit by William and Kate to Southport mirrors a similar event conducted by the King in August, where he too met with grieving families and emergency service personnel.

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